INTERNATIONAL SOLAR ENERGY RESEARCHCENTER KONSTANZ ISC EV

Their core work

ISC Konstanz is a dedicated photovoltaic research center that develops high-efficiency crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells and modules, including advanced architectures such as silicon heterojunction (SHJ), interdigitated back contact (IBC), and shingle module designs. Their work spans the full development arc from cell-level physics to module integration and economic viability analysis (LCOE), making them equally useful to equipment makers, cell manufacturers, and system integrators. They also address application-specific form factors, notably building-integrated (BIPV) and vehicle-integrated (VIPV) photovoltaics, bridging laboratory R&D and real-world deployment contexts. A secondary strand of their work tackles eco-efficiency in PV manufacturing — reducing material and energy consumption across the production value chain.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their first H2020 project (Eco-Solar, 2015–2018), ISC Konstanz worked on sustainability metrics and resource reduction across the PV manufacturing value chain — a relatively broad, process-oriented mandate with no specific cell-technology signature. By 2019, their focus had sharpened dramatically: HighLite is defined by a precise cluster of next-generation cell technologies (SHJ, IBC, shingle) alongside deployment contexts (BIPV, VIPV) and economic metrics (LCOE). The shift is from "make PV manufacturing greener" to "make the best silicon cells commercially viable at scale" — a move deeper into the technology stack and closer to market readiness.

ISC Konstanz is moving toward high-performance differentiated cell architectures (SHJ, IBC) and niche deployment markets (BIPV, VIPV), positioning themselves at the commercial frontier of crystalline silicon PV rather than in commodity manufacturing.

How they like to work

ISC Konstanz has participated in both H2020 projects as a partner, never as coordinator, which is consistent with the role of a specialist institute that brings deep technical expertise to consortia led by larger industrial or academic partners. Despite only two projects, they accumulated 28 unique consortium partners — an unusually broad network suggesting they engage in large, multi-partner projects rather than small bilateral collaborations. This profile makes them a reliable technical contributor rather than a project management hub.

28 unique partners across 11 countries from just two projects indicates active participation in large, pan-European consortia spanning the full PV value chain — from materials suppliers to system integrators. Their network likely includes major European PV manufacturers, research institutes, and university groups given the technology focus.

What sets them apart

ISC Konstanz is one of the few European institutes with simultaneous expertise in the two most commercially promising next-generation c-Si cell concepts — SHJ and IBC — alongside practical module integration work for BIPV and VIPV applications. Unlike university research groups, they operate as an independent research centre with an applied mandate, which typically means faster technology transfer and more industry-compatible outputs. For a consortium partner, they bring specific cell technology know-how that is difficult to source from generalist research organisations.

Highlights from their portfolio

• HighLite
  Their largest funded project (EUR 799,125), it covers the most technically advanced scope — SHJ, IBC, shingle, BIPV, VIPV, and LCOE — making it the clearest indicator of ISC Konstanz's current technical identity.
• Eco-Solar
  An earlier, broader project focused on eco-efficiency gains across the entire PV value chain, revealing ISC Konstanz's capacity to work on systemic manufacturing challenges, not only cell-level R&D.